Managed vs. Unmanaged VPS – What’s the difference?

In a previous post, we looked at why and when you would need to use a VPS (Virtual Private Server) for your website, so now we wanted to unpack the differences between a managed and an unmanaged VPS.

What is VPS Hosting?

VPS hosting is essentially a virtual slice of a server which you can scale to your own needs with your own dedicated resources. At Hostek, we never over-sell server capacity, in fact we operate in a highly available server environment and, on top of that, we’ll transfer you to another available server space in the event that your host server goes down.

A VPS shares certain resources with other sites, but portions of server resources are ring-fenced for you alone, offering guaranteed computing power and flexibility. There are numerous advantages to choosing a VPS over a physical server, the most crucial of which is the high availability that a VPS provides.

Unmanaged VPS

A VPS is designed to mimic the features and functions of a dedicated or physical server, only in a virtual space. It allows you full control over allocated system resources and full system access. You or your developers will have complete freedom to do whatever is required with your server.

However, it is important to remember that with great power, comes great responsibility. With most unmanaged VPS services, you’ll be left in charge of your own server and will be expected to install any software you require, upgrade your operating system with cyber security updates, and keep an eye on the server for any potential issues.

Managed VPS

As your business grows and expands, your web presence and site traffic are likely to expand with it. This can mean you spend increasing amounts of time maintaining your web server, which can be incredibly time consuming (especially if you are new to web hosting).

It can also be costly to bring in experts to deal with this server upkeep, as there is a great deal of knowledge and skill involved in properly maintaining a VPS. Therefore, a managed VPS can be an excellent way to save you both time and money.

A managed VPS gives you full control of your VPS and allows full root access. The advantage here is that you are also afforded the support of professional server maintenance, striking a nice balance between server control and your precious time.

A managed VPS setup will help you with upgrades and installations, as well as server monitoring and cyber security. With cyber security threats constantly evolving, this could save you hours of your week that would otherwise be spent searching for and installing patches and upgrades. Cyber security expertise is invaluable in today’s market, with users expecting their personal data to be held securely.

At Hostek, we offer both managed and unmanaged VPS servers, so we can accommodate customers looking for either. If you have more questions or aren’t sure which package would best for you, don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our server specialists!

Click here to find out how Hostek can take care of your server needs.

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